Office of Insurance Programs - How to File a Claim

In the event that your area receives damage, it is important that the department react promptly to handle the situation by notifying the Insurance Programs office. If the loss involves theft or vandalism, Public Safety must be notified as well. Losses in excess of $50,000 must be reported immediately to our department by phone. If you choose to purchase replacements for the damaged property, please send us a copy of the purchase orders, invoices, receipts, etc. We must show proof of replacement or repair to receive reimbursement.

Other documentation that may be required include: incident reports; statements of witnesses; correspondence; photographs; recordings; bills; estimates; property or vehicle documentation and claimant forms. The incident report should define who, what, where, and how the incident occurred. Acceptable incident reports include, but may not be limited to Public Safety/City of Charleston Police incident reports, Fire Marshall’s reports, comparable reports by other official agencies and offices, written letters documented and notarized, and witness reports written by a third party that have been documented and notarized. We also need copies of repair estimates, replacement costs, and/or clean-up costs when applicable.

Once we have obtained all of the required documentation, we can send the information to our insurance carrier to process the claim. Our insurance carrier will decide if the claim is covered by our insurance policy, how much the settlement will be, and if further information is required. The department will be promptly notified of the claim status. Please note that our insurance provider will pay for like kind and quality when it comes to replacement of damaged items. Any upgrade to equipment must be absorbed by the department.